Number of people using vital health facility drops due to security concerns

Concerns raised over security at temporary Erdington health facility

People aren’t using a temporary vital health facility due to security issues, a scrutiny committee has heard. And a senior NHS officer has said there is no update on the future of a previous facility used before collapse-prone RAAC concrete was discovered.

An “emergency relocation” of Warren Farm Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) in Kingstanding took place earlier this year after RAAC was found in roof panels of the building. At the time the NHS said all services previously run from Warren Farm Health Centre, aside from the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), would be permanently relocated to other sites.

The UTC was relocated under a new name of ‘North Birmingham UTC’ to a vacant space at Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre in High Street - a move initially expected to last for up to 12 months. But at a meeting of Birmingham and Solihull ’s joint health overview and scrutiny committee, councillors from both authorities heard there had been a concerning decrease in footfall of 32 per cent to the temporary venue compared to when the UTC was at Warren Farm.

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The figures also showed a 45 per cent decrease in the number of face-to-face consultations compared to those that took place at the previous venue. Faith Button, chief delivery officer at NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board, was asked why there had been the drop in usage.

“Our intelligence is it is around the location and anti-social behaviour,” the officer said. “People are very put off going to it.

“We have security on the front door and all sorts of extra security arrangements which help mitigate the risk. We have had to put mitigations in to make sure people remain safe, and our staff as well.”

The officer said they were trying to “actively promote” the site to get people to use it more. We have Good Hope Hospital down the road which is overwhelmed with people attending emergency departments,” the officer said.

“We really do need people to be attending urgent treatment centres as an alternative.” Previously NHS papers showed repairs to the roof at Warren Farm could cost between £1.5m and £2.5m - a figure that has been questioned by politicians.

Last December residents and patients held a protest outside the site calling for it to saved. On the future of Warren Farm Ms Button said NHS Property Services - responsible for the maintenance and repair of the facility - was awaiting a new structural survey of the roof.

“Until that takes place there isn’t any update to give the committee,” she said. The officer added a strategic review of all six UTCs across Birmingham and Solihull is being carried out.

Ms Button explained as part of that options for the permanent location of the North Birmingham UTC were being considered. “Very soon we will be able to come out with recommendations and will follow the process with consultation and engagement,” the officer added.

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is the lightweight concrete which was used in the construction of many buildings between the 1950s and 1990s. It is susceptible to deterioration over time, leading to possible structural issues compromising the safety and longevity of buildings. The meeting was held at the Civic Suite on September 26.

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